Obama trip to get logo (but no corporate sponsor)

Prime Minister’s Office is asking the public to choose the design of Obama's visit to Israel.

Netanyahu, Obama, Abbas.
(photo credit:REUTERS/Jason Reed )

Just like the Olympics or any other major sporting event, US President Barack
Obama’s visit to Israel next month will have an official logo, and the Prime
Minister’s Office is asking the public to choose the design.

The PMO on
Sunday uploaded on its Facebook page three different logos for the visit, with
the public asked to “like” its favorite, with the logo garnering the most
positive votes by Tuesday afternoon being the one that will be adapted as the
official logo.

The code name for the visit is Unshakeable Alliance (brit
amim). Last week officials involved in organizing the visit translated this as
Nations United.

National Security Council head Yaa'cov Amidror, who is
coordinating Obama’s visit, told the cabinet Sunday that there will be an
emphasis during this visit on utilizing social media to get the public involved,
as is being done in choosing the logo.

He said a media center will be set
up to accommodate the hundreds of journalists expected to cover the visit, and
that Israel will try to take advantage of the interest to showcase its high-tech
industry.

One government official deflected criticism that the logo idea
was kitschy, saying there was a great deal of public enthusiasm in the visit,
and this was one way of tapping into it. He chuckled dismissively when asked if
there would also be a soft drink sponsor.